PolyU places top priority on nurturing all-round students with professional competence and practical knowledge. All students taking full-time government-funded Bachelor’s degree programmes are required to complete a mandatory Work-Integrated Education (WIE) component as part of the curriculum requirement. The University will arrange internship opportunities for students to work in commercial and non-profit-making organizations in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland or overseas, so that students will be able to connect classroom theory with practical workplace applications and better prepare themselves for career development after graduation.

This summer, more than 800 students gained offshore placement experience through participating in the 'Preferred Graduate' Development Programme (PGDP) coordinated by the Student Affairs Office and through taking up the placement opportunities arranged by different departments. They travelled to different countries to work as summer interns, including Greece, Finland, the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA, Australia, Korea and Russia. Some students also worked in various cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Nanjing.

Sharing of Students

1. An eye-opening exercise

Qi Xiao-yan: student of BBA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance

This year, PolyU joined hands with Moscow International Higher Business School (MIRBIS) for the first time in offering internship opportunities for students under the PGDP, with a view to promoting exchange between the two places. Qi Xiao-yan, an accounting and finance student with absolutely no knowledge about the Russian language, went to Russia. She was a bit nervous at the beginning but the language barrier soon turned out to be some motivation. Upon arrival, she took a few lessons in order to master some basic Russian language for daily communication. “Both the unfamiliar environment and communication problems had provided me with an excellent opportunity to test my adaptability. From this placement, I have not only gained working experience, but also improvements in my interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills,” said Xiao-yan.

In return, the Student Affairs Office arranged placement for two MIRBIS students in Qingdao. Together with some PolyU students, they learnt how to work as management consultants through studying and analyzing the operations of individual departments and preparing recommendations for the enterprises. Timoshin Andrew, a management and marketing student from Russia and five PolyU students conducted a study for the Haier Group in Qingdao. Their report, combining creative ideas of the students from the two places, provided some innovative thoughts, which were well-acknowledged by its management. Thus, this two-way internship has not only provided great opportunities for students to learn and share experience with each other, but also helped improve the operation of some enterprises.

2. A good training in the finance sector

Wang Fang-yuen, George: student of BBA (Hons) in Global Supply Chain Management

With his competence and brilliant performance at the interview, George Wang earned himself the opportunity to work as an intern in the Bank of Communications Schroder Fund Management Co., Ltd. Majoring in Global Supply Chain Management, George grasped some basic fund management skills in only five week’s time. He also learned a bundle of business knowledge through his participation in the company’s promotion activities and operational meetings. With a more comprehensive understanding of the operations of investment banks and the economic development in the Chinese mainland, he has set his path for future study and career.

3. Promoting Hong Kong through internship

Plaisir Cheung: student of BSc (Hons) in Enterprise Engineering with Management

Have you ever imagined that overseas placement could contribute to promoting Hong Kong? This summer, two PolyU students were assigned to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto and Vancouver for an eight-week internship. Plaisir Cheung stationed in Toronto to help promote the East Asian Games and Hong Kong’s tourism industry to the local Chinese community. She travelled to Ottawa several times for promotional activities, and was interviewed by Ming Pao, Sing Tao Daily and OMNI Television of Toronto.